A poll of hospital doctors has revealed the majority are not familiar with the mechanisms in place for referring patients between GP surgeries and secondary care.
According to the poll by new website nhsUnlocked.org, most of the 312 doctors polled incorrectly thought GPs could only refer a patient to a hospital which had a funding arrangement with their PCT or that is within the boundaries of the local Strategic Health Authority.
The survey also found that only 40% would “definitely” recommend their workplace to family and friends, 36% would “probably” and 13% would “not” or “definitely not”.
More than 85% of respondents also said they had witnessed “significant” or “major differences” in the standards of care offered at the hospitals in which they have worked.
Set up by two London-based NHS hospital doctors, the site aims to combine doctor and patient experiences to give “insider info” on what hospitals are really like.
Matt Jameson Evans, codirector of nhsUnlocked.org, said: “In order for people to make meaningful decisions about where they would like to go for treatment, they need to have access to unbiased and independent information.”
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